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Oh I see! Ganging up on the tile guys now...everyone knows tiles are the OG! Haha Haha Sent from my SM-G973W using Tapatalk

Welcome @Forrest. All good decisions so far, apart from the one to go with olive gold pebble. Come over to the dark side. Tiles cook so much better!

Update: I was finally able to get ahold of Dennis and get my official order put in. Here is the sorted pebbles that will be used for my future 21” Supreme. Also I added the side tables, drip pan, half grate, cover, and wood/charcoal to the order. Dennis said it should hit the water mid-March! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

So @Forrest, I used to wonder if this forum was just one great big cult dedicated to a hippy guy called Dennis. I am now a believer and I can't help but say - experiment but don't mess with the fundamentals. Dennis knows his grills and his design. He will have sized the double drip pan so that it works well for the size KK that it is in. Air flow will happen efficiently around the sides of your pan and up and out through the chimney. Others will tell you how the air flows and where the eddies are. I will just say - believe.

Dennis will normally pick the most suitable grout colour. Did you know that pebbles also cook better, I know because I have pebbles. Don't listen to those square folks on the forum that say different.

We are patient here on the tile side @Forrest. I started off pebble and then moved to tile after two years so I know what I am talking about. They will turn your head, the marrying kind, you'll see. In the meantime, enjoy your hot love affair with pebble.

Bahaha! The great tile debate. Hilarious!! You buy what you feel is best. If it connects, it doesn't matter. When I bought mine way way back in the mid 2000's, pebbles were just making their way into the lineup. Dennis will pick the grout which is usually black. The grout material is not as durable as a glazed tile and would stain if a lighter color and difficult to clean. There's a reason for everything on these cookers. Sent from my SM-G973W using Tapatalk

Rubbish Tekobo. I thought you would prefer to start on the right side of Forrest? Everyone knows pebble was a wise choice. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Just be careful accelerating your fire in the KK if you're doing a low-and-slow cook - if you overshoot your target temp, it can take a while for the temp to drop back down! And if you cut off the airflow, the fire could go out before the temp comes back down so it's tempting to try to accelerate the fire again to make up for the time you lost and you get caught in a loop... Don't ask me how i know this.

Of course! I just cooked up these chicken wings for lunch. The secret is high temp 450-500 and cook them high in the dome for the radiant heat off the dome, makes them crispy every time! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Hello, my name is Forrest. I’m probably one of the youngest forum members at 25. I have become super involved with Kamado style cooking the past year and have absorbed as much knowledge as possible. I’ve had different grills along this journey but I’ve ended up with a Kamado Joe Big Joe. Although I believe the Big Joe is a top of line ceramic grill I see numerous advantages in the refractory cement grills that Dennis is building. I believe they are the finest Kamado style cooker in the market. The added insulation, further reduced airflow, hinge mechanism without the need of bands, airflow controls/dampers, all of the 304 stainless steel, integrated base with wheels, and the sheer beauty. Damn KK’s are the Rolls-Royce of grills/smokers/outdoor cookers in general. I have saved up money for what I think will be a perfect sized KK for me. I have decided on the 21” and have my eyes set on the olive/gold pebbles. I talked with Dennis a week ago and he said he was going to sort pebbles for a 21” grill and send me picture. I find it kind of tough to get ahold of KK but I’m waiting patiently to hear back and patience is worth the level of personal customer service you receive from KK. Dennis gave me some tips on the bacon cook below. I will share some photos of my cooks/Kamado experience. Can’t wait to add a KK to the stable. Cheers! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

You'll truly have no idea of the quality until you actually touch it and use it. It's one of those things that has to be experienced; it can't be explained. As for Dennis replying, remember he's on the other side of the globe and personally walks everyone though the experience. I can only imagine how much time that takes in addition to manufacturing, product testing etc. FWIW, I save my correspondence for very specific things like ordering parts (which reminds me)......otherwise everyone here is happy to help. Good luck! J Sent from my SM-G973W using Tapatalk

Olive/Gold is a great choice. You clearly have superior taste.

Pineapple cured ham...... with genuine crackle. With a touch of cumin and paprika. Baked Over a fist of silky oak. The butcher suggests to boil this like a silverside. A light rinse and this is better than baked Xmas ham. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I will have to give this hot oil a try. TIA. If you like premium hot sauces for bbq may I also suggest Truff Hot sauce. This is my favorite BBQ binder of all time. Chicken wings, brisket, Boston Butt, you name it I put that sh*t on everything to allow the rub to stick. And the truffle really adds a nice subtle umami flavor to BBQ. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Forest this is the 23” and double drip tray- dirty basket first With drip tray on basket handles There’s easily an inch+ around all edges. This is the tray on the main grate. With the top grate resting on the handles... above the usual main grate and a snug fit with the lid shut. The grates remains stable at this setting. Flip the top grate and it looks like this And a slightly better fit with the lid shit. Hopefully this helps show the flexibility of the whole KK set up. There is a middle grate- you can see the ceramic lip it sits on in the first and second photo, however, the drip pan doesn’t sit flush on this level, they are about the same size and handles get in the way- I don’t see this as a problem given the flexibility at other levels. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Something about the organic nature of the pebbles just does it for me. Also Olive and Gold is just classy. Does Dennis ask you which color grout you want? If so I have no idea what I’d want or what color would look best. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Welcome Forrest, My kids are about your age - they love food and they love cooking but they haven't done a lot grill-wise - I suppose that's my fault - but thanks - I'm going to send them this link and wait for the fight when they get back home ! PS @tekobo and @cruzmisl are right on target, I'd be guided by them.

And the half grate is essential. It will allow you to work several temperature zone from warming up high and grilling down low. I have the double lined tray, I like it, however don’t use it that often. Dennis has engineered this with heat circulation in mind. I’ll send you a photo when I get home. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Welcome Forrest and congrats on the decision to invest. Always a tough decision to pull the trigger, I haven’t heard of anyone regretting it. I’m looking forward to seeing more of your new cooks- they look well prepped. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

And I'll bring the beers as my contribution to the tribute! @Forrest - you're going to be blown away by the upgrade that you're making. Hope Dennis can hook you up quickly.

Game pizza.

As I type this it’s 55 degrees at 7:40pm, feels like I haven’t cooked on the KK in forever so today I fired it up and did some chicken breast that I’ll use for quesadillas and chicken lettuce wraps the next two days, but I’ve been hungry all week so felt like some good read meat fortunately I just got a bunch of new rubs and spices that the venerable @tony brecimmeded to me so tonight I grilled a tri-tip indirect over coco char rubbed with Oakwood Santa Maria rub, over mesquite wood chips, served with slow baked sweet potatoe and Greek yogurt (quickly becoming my go to baked potato), along with seasons first corn on the cob, which could’ve been cooked longer and probably grown longer. Served with my favorite Fred’s Horseradish sauce also @Tyrus decided to break my dry streak for 2021 and have a nice glass of red wine tonight which was lovely. Meat turned out great, enough medium +/well done pieces for the misses and medium/- for me. Top it off with my friends Umphrey’s McGee doing a livestream concert sitting outside, capped off in the hot tub. Lovely evening

OK, had been reading about this latest trend in foodie world - crispy hot sauce from China. It's loaded with fried garlic and onions, to add texture to what otherwise would just be a Mala sauce (chiles & Szechuan peppercorns in oil). I actually ended up trying this one, which is made in the US, as it was getting equally good reviews on Amazon to the "standard" Chinese version. The jar arrived yesterday, so of course I had to try it out on dinner! It went on sauteed green beans and mushrooms. Plated with a nice lemon pepper honey mustard pork chop. Pork chop on the main grate, direct, 350F. Lemon pepper rub to start and then sauced with the lemon pepper honey mustard sauce. OK, now I see what all the foodie buzz is about - this stuff is good! Glad that I only went 3 stars hot and not the 4 star version (which has ghost peppers in it!) Nice heat, love the crunchy texture it added. Will be experimenting more with it. I hear that it's great in scrambled eggs?

Nicely done, grasshopper! Good job on getting the pallet loaded up with wood/charcoal. About the only way to get them in the US now. If you have ANY interest in the pizza stone, get it now, because it's very heavy and the shipping costs are very high if shipped solo later.

Welcome to the Obsession! Now that your order is in. Keep us updated on the delivery schedule and those all-important uncrating pics!

Interesting combo for sure. I would have thought that the chili peppers would just overwhelm the truffle? But, I noticed that it's made with truffle "essence," code word for artificial truffle flavor. So, they can compensate with just adding more truffle flavor. Most food products that claim to have truffle in them have been made in a chemistry lab. The reason that truffles are so expensive is that they are first off, very rare, and second, a major pain to harvest (specially trained pigs & dogs). Not knocking the product - hell, I have fake black truffle oil from Trader Joe's in my pantry, just keeping it real.

One of the first "rules" that we try and teach to newbies here - "DON'T CHASE THE TEMPERATURE!" Once heat soaked, lowering the temperature in a KK is like turning a battleship. The best approach is to establish a small fire initially - you can have the top vent more open than the target position early on, but as the temperature gets within about 50F of your target, then set the top vent accordingly and let the KK coast up to your target. This will ensure that you'll never overshoot your target by too much, if at all. 2nd rule: Don't fret if your final temperature is not EXACTLY on target. For most cooks, +/- 25F is not going to make hardly any difference in the final product. Your pork butt is not going to be ruined if you cook it at 275F instead of your target of 250F!

I’m sure the drip pan allows for enough airflow, especially if you don’t place it directly over the firebox. I think smaller size will fit my needs better though. I talked with Dennis just barely and sent my official order over with the 16” Lil’ Brawny Double Bottom Drip Pan on my order. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

P.S. I asked the same question about grout and Dennis told me that there is only one colour.

Grasshopper, you have so much knowledge, but also have some much more to learn! (Sorry, couldn't help myself!) Sorry, no pictures of mine in the grill, but I know that it leaves enough space around the outside for proper airflow. It has to fit inside the handles of the lower grate, if that helps you picture the size? Next lesson, "heat deflectors" in a KK. The big ceramic one that Dennis will send you with your KK - ditch it! NO ONE, NOT EVEN DENNIS, USES IT! Most of us are content with a single sheet of aluminum foil on the lower grate to block the infrared radiation from the fire for our "indirect" cooks. Order a basket splitter and a spare charcoal basket for your grill to also do indirect cooks. If you want to catch drippings, use the drip pan that will come with your KK, or just use a cheap aluminum one. My advice is to skip the double-walled drip pan and use the $$ for the extra charcoal basket and basket splitter. YMMV

I will definitely post pictures. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

@Tyrus, I'll be sending you a complimentary dinner for that age endorsement.

The small grill is a BGE MiniMax. Awesome for camping/transporting. The KK will replace that on my back patio and the BGE will find a place in the garage dedicated for transporting. I have a feeling one day a larger KK may replace the Big Joe. But until then I will be really set with the Big Joe and hopefully the 21” soon. Admittedly I’m not patient... hoping Dennis gets back to me soon. Lol. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Forrest, Wow! If there was ever a guy who deserved a Komodo Komoda, you’re the one. I also bought the 21’ Superior (with square black tiles) after being reassured by Dennis that it was large enough to cook a large packer brisket, and indeed it is. I love mine, but it’s so cold and snowy in Idaho, I am not using it very much. But spring is coming and so is entertaining, so I am watching every video and reading every book on the subject. I can hardly wait to get back at it. Dan

Beautiful, Basher. I mean the ham. Well, that doesn't clarify things does it, I mean the roast.

Sure it's weird, if your putting wings and things together for a meal in the morning. Today I was on the phone with someone in your area setting up a broken internet connection with a Bose Soundbar. The problem may have been a house unit, but for some reason the UK accent has hands down the most disarming and well spoken people I have found for assistance to get you fixed. Just thought it should be mentioned. What's cookin?

@tekobo a brasserro is the rack to hold wood above the fire box; the stuff in the bottom burns and falls thru as it turns to embers and is ready to move under the grates. You load fresh wood on top and it gravity feeds down. The AZ BBQ ones I'm considering can have independently adjustable split grids without a central post; you can lock them together by putting a pin in the shaft at the top. I checked out ox grills after seeing your mention in another thread; they don't seem to be available on the US but very nice! All stainless! I'll probably get stainless grates but I'm not prepared to pay for all stainless. I'm undecided about the rotisserie; there's a pop-up one on my gas grill with a dedicated infrared burner but i rarely use it. I guess it would be fun to string a bunch of whole chickens on one and let them tumble over the fire. Thanks for the input!

Hey all! Just been catching up on the thread, there’s some insanely good cooks been happening! There isn’t a single thing that I don’t want to try Cooked a couple of pizzas tonight, it was a really quick dough, so results as expected, but they didn’t look too bad. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Happy SB hangover all. A few cooks from the past couple of weeks. Tri-Tip: Excellent as always. This is my new favorite protein to grill. We sliced super thin, toasted some "French" brioche hamburger buns that were spread with Duke's mayo (instead of butter for toasting on the griddle), drizzle some garlic & wine butter, sliced onions and pickles, then a drizzle of BBQ sauce - sandwich heaven. The BBQ sauce was "Lillie's Carolina BBQ sauce". I'm ignorant as to its authenticity but my wife and I both like it. Not too sweet, lots of twang. Ribeye: Prime grade from Costco. My wife bought me 6 Snake River Farms prime Wagyu for Christmas. I wanted to cook some other thick prime before diving into those to confirm I know what in the Hades I'm doing. It was awesome. I'll probably try one of the SRF's next. Greenbeans: Needed to clean out pantry so I made up a recipe - sautéed some diced white onion in oil, put 1 TBSP of tomato paste in pan and fry for a bit, add 1 can drained French cut green beans, 1/3 can of cream of mushroom/chicken combo, and 1/3 cup of Cacique Mexican sour cream. Sprinkle your favorite rub or just use S&P. Bring to a simmer then let it cook for a while until it thickens. It's low brow but really good. Sautéed flame bells and onions - standard sauté in a skillet w/oil. I like to put a shake of Maggi seasoning a few minutes before done. This adds a great umami pop to the veggies. Superbowl - leftover Fogo super premium, Cocochar, and post oak. Pork belly burnt ends - great as always. I used Byron's Butt Rub. For the final 45 minutes I tossed in the aforementioned Lillie's with some more Byron's. Smoked wings - I used Ploughboys Yardbird seasoning. Once done I tossed in a sauce that was a mixture of Frank's and some of the garlic/wine butter. Smoked queso - 8oz white American from the deli (ask for a 1" slice - much easier to cube or shred than if they give thin slices), 4 oz cream cheese, handful of medium Tillamook cheddar, 2/3 can of cream of chicken/mushrom (2/3 because that was my leftover from the green beans seen next to the ribeye), 505 Southwestern roasted green chili, 1/2 can of diced tomatoes, 1/2 pack of Cacique pork chorizo, BBQ Bros Carolina rub sprinkled on top. Garlic butter recipe - I don't think I've posted this in the forums. Right this down. Email yourself. Etch it in stone. I have it tattooed on my belly. This is a game change. If you are familiar with Pappacitos or Uncle Julios, this is the butter they server with fajitas. We order it as an appetizer and dip flour tortillas in it. Honestly I can sit at the bar, drink margaritas, and eat this with tortillas as my meal. ****I halve the #'s below, i.e., 8oz instead of 1lb. Final step of nuking until it froths is critical**** 1lb butter 1lb margarine 1 big heaping tablespoon granule chicken bouillon (I use the paste that comes in a jar and you refrigerate after opening). ***since I cut everything you see in half I just use a true tablespoon, not heaping, but this + the wine are the secrets**** 2 tablespoons finely chopped garlic (fresh is better but can use fresh chopped in jars) 1 cup white wine (Chardonnay is best) Get butter and margarine room temp. Mix all but the wine together(can use an electric mixer). This will be a peanut butter texture. Slowly blend in the wine. Empty, tube style, onto saran wrap and roll up. This freezes well and sections can be cut off for use. GREAT on all meats for dipping or basting. When you get ready to use, cut off sections (the smaller the sections the better it nukes). Put in bowl to nuke. Nuke 10 seconds at a time until you see it froth. Stop and serve there as if you allow to go further, the butter will separate.

You are right Troble, I’ll be easing back off that double cream. Mac, that’s a cracking crust. Did you change up the recipe?...... just a little? Sirloin tonight- this is what Archie(son) should have cooked last week when he pulled out the rib on bone instead. Anyway, he helped with this. These were cooked over half a fist of carambola wood and also some tea tree smoke as I put the steaks in. Tea tree is recommended if you can get your hands on it. Inhaling the smoke was delish. And finished I’ve found an excellent leather craftsman who fixed a couple of pairs of my favourite, dog chewed leather boots. I was so impressed with his work that I asked him to tailor a leather knife roll for me and he has my knives- hence the sharpened baccarat black samurai knife. I’ve been looking for some straight edged steak knives rather than the usual serrated edge and these were on sale for $14aus each( under $10US) so I purchased 8. Close up. For the newbies, that fire was lit with the top open two full turns, then closed back to 1 full turn for 45 minutes while I went to the gym. The top rack was flipped upside down so was as close to fire as possible. Dome read 200c( 390f) when I returned. Steaks were taken out of the fridge as the fire was lit so pretty close to room temp. Bottom vent was open 1/6 turn plus 2nd largest circle and did not change. BTW, I’m still a newbie.[emoji14] Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

@tony b this ones for you buddy. First beer of 2021, my favorite Tony Gwynn .394 Pale Ale, pulled pork sandwiches with slap yo daddy rub, Butcher BBQ pork injection, finished in the broiler with siracha, apple juice spritz and dusted with brown sugar. Served on Hawaiian roll Kids helped me with the guacamole so only got a few after shots finishing it off with Dutch Apple Crumb pie & French vanilla ice cream

Ya'll are killin' me with these great cooks! It's too dangerous outside to even attempt a short cook here. Right now we're at the high for the day and it's MINUS 3F, with a windchill of -13F. You can get frostbite in the time it takes to set up the KK for a cook. Going to stay this cold for the next week +.

Very cold weather coming in for the next 10 days. Decided to use last night's moderate temperature (1°C) to cook up this tri-tip. Santa Maria seasoning over duck fat. Plated with salad, roasted baby potatoes and baguette. Accompanied by 2007 Chappellet Cabernet Sauvignon. I left it on the KK16 a couple of minutes too long, but it was still tasty.

Left over KK rib on bone that my son cooked on the KK. Green peppercorn gravy, a little bacon, garlic, onion. Very rich between the beef and the cream. This was a slight error where I had left home after lighting the KK and my son who knew he was cooking steak, grabbed the bag of rib on bone rather than the thinner sirloin that would have been easier for him to cook. Anyway, although they were a little rare for my wife, they were pretty good.... and even better second time around. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I’m over a year old now! Havent I earned my stripes?

Troble, I realize you are new on the forum but you are not that new that you can post fresh corn on the cob until Tony and I can do the same, which is not until late July or Aug.

Rib eye with left over ribs Sent from my SM-T835 using Tapatalk

I had a productive day yesterday. Rotisserie chicken on the KK Whilst I was brewing 70l of Red IPA Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

As a kid I worked a summer at Schaller's burger restaurant on the Lake Ontario shore near Rochester, NY. They really did serve great classic burgers. There were nights I was the only one working who wasn't tripping on psilocybin. We'd draw straws for who got to turn on the machine that chopped 50 onions at once. Everyone else stood by to carry the unlucky one into a walk-in freezer, where staring up at the fan for twenty seconds restored some sight to one's eyes. Man did that sting! Impressive machine, though... Our hot sauce was legendary. To first approximation it was just grease. The secret recipe was actually to take every mistake burger that week, and cook it down. In a pot of grease, of course. You'd swear your napkin was the best burger you'd ever had, with this sauce on it.